Other major teaching units | Subjects taught at LSE

 

All research groups | Research subject areas

 
A-Z site index | Contact | Maps | Jobs|
Home > Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science > Research > Philosophy of Physics
Home
Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science
Research

 

Philosophy of Physics

The aim of the project is to address foundational and philosophical questions in physics using an interdisciplinary approach combining physical, philosophical and historical expertise.

In autumn 2008 a collaboration was established with CATS (at LSE) to investigate foundational problems in climate physics.

Project Leader: Roman Frigg and Miklos Rédei

Duration of the Project: Ongoing

COLLABORATORS

  • Collaborators in situ:
    • Bradley, Seamus (Research Student, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Dizadji-Bahmani, Foad (LSE Fellow, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Frigg, Roman (Reader, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Rédei, Miklos (Reader, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Redhead, Michael (Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Talman, Aarne (Research Student, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
    • Werndl, Charlotte (Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, LSE)
  • Collaborators at a distance:
    • Smith, Leonard (Professor, Department of Statistics, LSE) 
    • Methods of Causal Inference and Scientific Representation (MCISR) is a pioneering research group in Spain, based at the Complutense University of Madrid. Its members conduct research on the philosophical foundations of physics, with a special focus on causal inference and scientific representation.

PUBLICATIONS

Roman Frigg

  1.  "Typicality and the Approach to Equilibrium in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics", forthcoming in Philosophy of Science (Supplement).
  2. "Models and Fiction', forthcoming in Synthese.
  3. "Determinism and Chance from a Humean Perspective", forthcoming in Dennis Dieks, Wenceslao Gonzalez, Stephan Hartmann, Marcel Weber, Friedrich Stadler and Thomas Uebel (eds.): The Present Situation in the Philosophy of Science. Berlin and New York: Springer, with Carl Hoefer.
  4. "The Philosophy of Simulation: Hot New Issues or Same Old Stew?", forthcoming in Synthese 169(3), with Julian Reiss.
  5. "Probability in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics", forthcoming in Gerhard Ernst and Andreas Hüttemann (eds.): Time, Chance and Reduction. Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics. Cambridge University Press.
  6. "Why Typicality Does Not Explain the Approach to Equilibrium', forthcoming in Mauricio Suárez (ed.): Probabilities, Causes and Propensitites in Physics, Synthese Library, Berlin: Springer.
  7.  "Humean Chance in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics", Philosophy of Science (Supplement) 75, 2008, 670–681.
  8. "A Field Guide to Recent Work on the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics", in Dean Rickles (ed.): The Ashgate Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Physics. London: Ashgate 2008, 99-196.
  9. "Models in Physics", forthcoming in The Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (web version).
  10. "GRW Theory", forthcoming in: Daniel Greenberger, Brigitte Falkenburg, Klaus Hentschel and Friedel Weinert (eds.): Compendium of Quantum Physics: Concepts, Experiments, History and Philosophy. Springer.
  11. Review of Robin Le Poidevin: "The Images of Time. An Essay on Temporal Representation", Oxford: Oxford University Press 2007, forthcoming in British Journal of Aesthetics.
  12. Review of Stathis Psillos and Martin Curd (eds.): "The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science", London: Routledge 2008, Metascience 18, 2009, 139–142.
  13. (ed.) "Models and Simulation II", special issue, Synthese (forthcoming), with Stephan Hartmann and Cyrille Imbert.
  14. (ed.) "Models and Simulation', special issue, Synthese (forthcoming), with Stephan Hartmann and Cyrille Imbert.

Miklos Rédei

  1. "The Birkhoff-von Neumann concept of quantum logic" in Handbook of quantum logic and quantum structures,Kurt Engesser, Dov M. Gabbay, Daniel Lehmann (eds.) (Elsevier, 2008) 1-22
  2. "Causal completeness of general probability theories" in Probabilities, Causes, and Propensities in Physics, M. Suárez (ed.) Synthese Library, (Springer) (forthcoming), with B. Gyenis
  3. "When Are Quantum Systems Operationally Independent?" International Journal of Theoretical Physics (forthcoming), with S.J. Summers
  4. "Kolmogorovian Censorship Hypothesis for general quantum probability theories" Manuscrito – Revista Internacional de Filosofia (forthcoming)

Michael Redhead

  1. "The Vacuum in Antiquity and in Modern Physics", to appear in the Bell Festschrift (To appear in the Western Ontario Philosophy of Science Series).
  2. "Reply to reviews of 'Objectivity, Invariance, and Convention: Symmetry in Physical Science'. In Defence of Conventionalism (with T Debs). Metascience forthcoming.
  3. God Belief and Explanation (with S. Groom) forthcoming, Harvard University Press.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Events at the Centre

The main activity of the Philosophy of Physics Project is organising the Sigma Club, a regular lecture series in the philosophy of physics. More information about the Club can be found at:

http://www2.lse.ac.uk/CPNSS/events/SigmaClub/Home.aspx|

The following talks have been organised in the period from May 2008 to April 2009:

Tim Palmer, University of Cambridge and ECWMF
Bell Inequalities, Free Variables and the Undecidability of Fractal Invariant Sets
19 May 2009, 5:00-7:00 pm

Frank Arntzenius, University of Oxford
More Space, Less Clutter?
23 June 2009, 5:00-7:00 pm

Lamberto Rondoni|, Politecnico di Torino
Deterministic Thermostats and Fluctuation Relations in Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics
7 July 2009, 5:00-7:00 pm

John Worrall|, London School of Economics
Structural Realism: the "Newman Objection"? What objection?
13 October 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

Miklós Rédei |, London School of Economics
Is Algebraic Relativistic Quantum Field Theory Causally Complete?
27 October 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

Fay Dowker|, Imperial College, London
Dynamical Logic
19 January 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

Joseph Berkovitz|, University of Toronto
On Predictions in Retro-causal interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
9 February 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

Dan Parker|, Virginia Tech
Molecular Disorder, Probability and Time
9 March 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

José Díez|, University of Barcelona
Operational Meaning and Metrical Concepts
16 March 2009, 5:15-7:00 pm

Events elsewhere:

The project was involved in the organisation of the following two events.

  • "Models and Fiction", University of London, 12-13 March 2009. Two day workshop, supported by grants from the Institute of Philosophy and the British Society for the Philosophy of Science.
  • "Second London-Paris-Tilburg Workshop in Logic and Philosophy of Science", University of Tilburg, Tilburg, 24 October 2008.

TALKS AND LECTURES

Seamus Bradley

Academic

  1. "Laplace's demon and his modern rivals", PH551 Seminar, LSE, January 2009.

Foad Dizadji-Bahmani

Academic

  1. "The Status of Bridge Laws in the reduction of Thermodynamics to Statistical Mechanics", British Society for Philosophy of Science Annual Conference 2008, St. Andrews, UK, 10th and 11th July 2008.
  2.  "Intertheoretic Reduction", Second London-Paris-Tilburg Workshop in Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of Tilburg, October 2008, with Foad Dizadji-Bahmani and Stephan Hartmann.

Roman Frigg

Non-academic/Media

  1. "Does Science Meet Religion on the Cosmological Scale?", Dana Centre, Science Museum, London, March 2009

Academic

  1. "Why We Need Fictions to Understand Models", Models and Fictions Workshop, London, March 2009.
  2.  "Who's Afraid of Nagelian Reduction", Departmental Seminar of the Philosophy Department, Sydney University, April 2009.
  3. Statistische Mechanik, Reduktionismus und Wahrscheinlichkeit", Zentrale Einrichtung für Wissenschaftstheorie und Wissenschaftsethik (ZEWW), Universiät Hannover, January 2009.
  4. "Probability in Deterministic Systems", The Present Situation in the Philosophy of Science, opening conference of the ESF Research Networking Programme 'The Philosophy of Science in a European Perspective' (PSE), Vienna, December 2008.
  5. "Why Typicality Does Not Explain the Approach to Equilibrium", The Probable and the Improbable: The Meaning and Role of Probability in Physics, Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem, December 2008.
  6. "Chance in Classical Physics", Philosophy of Natural Science Research Seminar, LSE, November 2008.
  7. "Typicality and the Approach to Equilibrium in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics", PSA 2008, Pittsburgh, November 2008.
  8. "Models and Fiction", Choice Group, LSE, October 2008.
  9. "Intertheoretic Reduction", Second London-Paris-Tilburg Workshop in Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of Tilburg, October 2008, with Foad Dizadji-Bahmani and Stephan Hartmann.
  10. "Humean Chance in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics", Philosophy of Physics Discussion Group, University of Oxford, June 2008.
  11. "Models and Fiction", Centre for Literature and Philosophy Inaugural Conference, University of Sussex, June 2008.
  12. "Typicality and the Approach to Equilibrium in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics', Philosophy of Physics Seminar, University of Oxford, May 2008.

Miklos Rédei

Academic

  1. "How local are local operations in local quantum field theory?" Causality and Locality in Physics. June 13, 2008, Tilburg Center for Philosophy of Science, Tilburg, The Netherlands
  2. "The hierarchy of independence notions in operator algebraic quantum theory" International Conference of the International Quantum Structures Association (IQSA2008), July 6-12, 2008, Sopot, Poland 
  3. "Open questions and recent results on causal completeness of probabilistic theories" Causality and Probability in the Special Sciences (CAPITS2008) September 10-12, 2008,  Canterbury, 
  4. "Operational independence in quantum field theory" Biennial Conference of the Philosophy of Science Association (PSA 2008), November 6-8, Pittsburgh, U.S.A.
  5.  "Is Algebraic Relativistic Quantum Field Theory Causally Complete?" June 19, 2008, Department of Physics, Imperial College
  6. "Is Algebraic Relativistic Quantum Field Theory Causally Complete?" October 27, 2008, Sigma Club, LSE
  7. "John von Neumann's life and work in light of his letters" October 29, 2008, Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds
  8. "Einstein's critique of quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum field theory February 17, 2009, Popper seminar, LSE
  9. "Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle" March 4, 2009, Centre for Reasoning, University of Kent
  10. "Operational Separability and Operational Independence in Quantum Field Theory" March 17, 2009, LARSIM, Orsay, France
  11. "Von Neumann's lifelong struggle with quantum mechanics" March 19, 2009, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France

FURTHER INFORMATION

Michael Redhead was made a Trustee of the Trust for Research in Mathematical Science and Philosophy under the Chairmanship of Professor Roger Penrose.

 

 

Copyright © LSE 2012

Freedom of information | About this site| Comment on this page | Page last updated on 9 February 2012

Use of this website is subject to, and implies acceptance of, its Terms of use (including Copyright and intellectual property, Privacy and data protection and Accessibility). The London School of Economics and Political Science is a School of the University of London. It is a charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg no. 70527).The registered office address of the School is: The London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 7686